Buck O'Neill, Hall of Famer, Dammit.

If you've ever seen Ken Burns' Baseball, as I have, dozens of times, then you know who Buck O'Neill is. I honestly can't think of a living sports figure that I admire more.

The following is a letter I wrote to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. This year they really pissed me off. I'd return my souvenir coffee mug if I hadn't already broken it.

Anyway, other than Shoeless Joe Jackson, there's no one who deserves to be in the HOF more. No one.

Buck O'Neill, Hall of Famer

Every year I look forward to the Hall of Fame announcement and cheer at who got in and cluck my disapproval at who missed out. But this year I'm really disgusted.

Buck O'Neill not worthy of the Hall of Fame? Wow. Now that I've deleted all the unprintable comments from this second draft e-mail, I have to ask you why.

Why would you not elect the greatest ambassador the game has ever known? Why would you not elect the man who is single-handedly responsible for generations of fans learning about the history of the Negro Leagues?

I don't know what your reasons were, but I know you're wrong. Fix it. And please, for the sake of baseball fans everywhere, do it before Mr. O'Neill loses the chance to see it.

Robert Emmerson

Here's a link that agrees with me, and here's another.